1
: designed to conform to all shapes and sizes
one-size-fits-all T-shirts
One-size-fits-all gloves by Nolan Glove have gripper palms that are perfect for holding on …Andrea Skinner
If you are small of ear, you may find that those one-size-fits-all earbuds simply don't fit.David Pogue
2
: covering, used for, or applying to all cases or individuals without modification
This past spring, The New England Journal of Medicine published a series of articles by well-known geneticists who expressed frustration and disappointment at their inability to hit upon a one-size-fits-all genetic explanation for common diseases, which had seemed within their grasp only a few years ago.Matthew Stremlau
Levine says the old, one-size-fits-all approach allows too many youngsters to fall through the cracks—kids who may be perfectly intelligent but struggle in school.Barbara Kantrowitz et al.
Skeptics worry that patients are too varied and doctors too accustomed to providing unlimited care for a one-size-fits-all payment policy.Catherine Arnst
Where once there was the one-size-fits-all fixed-rate 30-year mortgage, now there is a bewildering assortment of home-financing arrangements …Consumer Reports

Examples of one-size-fits-all in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As with all things, running clubs are not one-size-fits-all. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025 One of the biggest misconceptions about book marketing is that there’s a one-size-fits-all approach. Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025 There is no one-size-fits-all fix for financial trauma. Rahkim Sabree, Contributor, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025 Current market conditions demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for one-size-fits-all

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of one-size-fits-all was in 1905

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Cite this Entry

“One-size-fits-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-size-fits-all. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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